Taliban team arrives in Pakistan to promote intra-Afghan talks

Islamabad: A Taliban delegation arrived in Pakistan on Monday as part of the country’s efforts to start intra-Afghan negotiations without further delay.

The Taliban political team, led by political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, will discuss the “recent developments in Afghanistan’s peace process,” as well as “facilitation of people’s movement and trade between the two neighbouring countries,” according to a tweet by Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman for the Taliban political office.

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Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he would meet with the Taliban delegation on Tuesday to “facilitate the peace process” adding that the “majority of Afghans believe the only way forward is through reconciliation but the decision to resolve [issues] has to be taken by Afghans themselves.” Pakistan supports an “Afghan-led” and “Afghan-owned” reconciliation process.

The intra-Afghan talks are being held under the US agreement with the Taliban in February to withdraw American troops and end the nearly 19-year Afghan war. Pakistan claimed that the “historic breakthrough” could not have been achieved without Islamabad’s efforts, as it was “not easy to bring the Taliban to the table for negotiations”. US special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad also recently urged for the immediate launch of direct talks impeded by a series of interruptions.

The visit of Taliban delegation coincides with the announcement of a strong powerful negotiating team headed by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai to discuss strategy and sign agreements with the Afghan government.

The Taliban team arrived in Pakistan soon after the country consolidated UNSC sanctions against the Afghan Taliban and directed to apply travel restrictions, arms embargo and freeze their funds. Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen has said that the sanctions are not new but warned any tightening of a ban on travel could hurt peace negotiations. He also clarified that Taliban have no Pakistani assets or bank accounts, and do not buy weapons from Pakistan.

Taliban team is visiting on Islamabad’s invitation and the peace process would not be hampered by the sanctions, Pakistan officials said.

Taliban political office will also be visiting other countries soon to take the peace talks agenda forward.

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